BIOGRAPHY

Already an acclaimed artist in his native Belarus, clarinetist Maksim Shtrykov is quickly gaining renown as an artist of remarkable charisma and extraordinary musicianship. He has been hailed for “clarity that’s viscerally breathtaking” and “effortless…quicksilver legato” (Lucid Culture, NYC). A recipient of the Artists International New York Debut Award, Maksim presented his Carnegie Hall debut recital at Weill Hall in 2007. A passionate advocate of clarinet music, he is on a continuous quest of expanding his instrument’s repertoire, bringing to light rarely performed masterpieces by forgotten masters.

Maksim’s 2018-19 season begins with the release of “Epilogues”, a debut album recorded in collaboration with his duo partner, acclaimed Japanese pianist Misuzu Tanaka. The Shtrykov-Tanaka Duo explores four clarinet sonatas, the last works of three leading composers – Johannes Brahms, Camille Saint-Saëns and Francis Poulenc. Each of these composers chose the clarinet as the last medium of their genius, referring to its rich sound and soulful expression in the late stage of their lives, entrusting in it a lifetime of wisdom and experience. Though the story behind the creation of each composition differs, all of them hold a deep philosophical meaning as the pinnacles of the composers’ mastery.

In addition to the debut album release and concerts in the US on such series as Black Hills Chamber Music Society (SD), Ridgecrest Chamber Music Society (CA) and Rochester Institute of Technology Artist Series the next season’s will see Shtrykov-Tanaka Duo on tour in China with concerts in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

In the past seasons Maksim appeared with the Amadeus Festival Orchestra and its Artistic Director John Zoltek in a performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and gave numerous concerts around the country with appearances at the Chamber Music Society of Maryland, Cedarhurst Chamber Music (IL), Ridgecrest Chamber Music Society (CA), Rochester Institute of Technology Artist Series, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts (IL), Shorter University’s Guest Artist Series (GA), and Summer Stars Classical Series (NJ) among many others.

At age fourteen, Maksim was awarded a solo orchestral debut with the State Chamber Orchestra of Belarus, a performance that led to a series of concerto performances with the Belarusian State Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. He is a prizewinner of many competitions including the Dmytro Bida International Woodwind Competition (Lviv, Ukraine), Brahms Chamber Music Competition (Gdansk, Poland), and “Salieri - Zinetti” International Chamber Music Competition (Verona, Italy). He is also a two-time recipient of the President’s Foundation Award “Young Talents of Belarus.”

Maksim Shtrykov holds a degree of Master of Music from The Juilliard School, where he was a scholarship student in the celebrated studio of Charles Neidich.